Health
Cancer prevention in the esophagus could be just a pill away, doctor says: ‘Tremendous benefit’
A vitamin-sized pill could be the future of esophageal cancer prevention.
Cancer of the esophagus — the muscular tube that moves food from the mouth into the stomach — has just a 20% five-year survival rate. Yet there are no standard or routine screening tests for the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Lucid Diagnostics, a New York-based biotech company, is looking to change that with its newly developed test, which only requires taking a single, vitamin-sized pill.
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Fox News Digital spoke with Lishan Aklog, M.D., chairman and CEO of Lucid, about how the test, called the EsoGuard, could offer a new line of defense against a cancer that has flown “under the radar” in terms of screening.
“For the more common breast, cancer and lung cancers, early detection programs like mammography, colonoscopy and PAP testing have decreased the mortality rates by about 50% over the last couple of decades — so we know early detection works,” he said. “But there are other cancers that we don’t talk about as frequently, but are extremely deadly.”
Lucid Diagnostics, a New York-based biotech company, has created an esophageal cancer screening test that only requires taking a single, vitamin-sized pill. (Lucid Diagnostics)
The three deadliest are all cancers of the gastrointestinal system, Aklog noted — pancreatic, esophageal and liver.
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“All three of them are effectively a death sentence, and we don’t think about these as much.”
With the new technology behind EsoGuard, Aklog hopes to offer a new routine screening for esophageal cancer and prevent deaths.
Cancer prevention rather than detection
With other types of cancers, such as colon and breast, detecting the disease early in the first stage is a “victory,” Aklog said, because it comes with about a 90% cure rate.
“But it’s not really a victory to pick up stage one esophageal cancer,” he said.
“The mortality rate for even stage one esophageal cancer is awful. It’s one of the cancers that you have to pick up in the precancerous stage in order to do the appropriate interventions and surveillance, so you actually can prevent cancer.”
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EsoGuard is designed to detect GERD — gastroesophageal reflux disease — which is known to be a risk factor for the development of esophageal cancer.
“There is a direct link that’s not very widely known between chronic reflux, chronic heartburn and cancer,” Aklog said.
“When you have fluid in the stomach, acid makes its way into the lower esophagus, where it doesn’t belong,” he went on. “That causes cellular changes that can eventually evolve into full-blown cancer.”
The sample is sent to the central laboratory for analysis, after which the patient gets a positive or negative result. (Lucid Diagnostics)
Although anyone can benefit from the test, Aklog said, it is most important for people who have at least three of the six main risk factors.
Those at the highest risk include people with chronic heartburn, obesity, family history and a history of smoking.
Those who are male, White and 50 years or older are also more likely to develop this type of cancer.
“There is a direct link that’s not very widely known between chronic reflux, chronic heartburn and cancer.”
Last year, Lucid partnered with the San Antonio Fire Department to screen firefighters, who have a 62% higher risk of developing esophageal cancer.
“In two weekends, we tested more than 400 firefighters, and we identified precancerous conditions in a number of them,” Aklog said.
Deputy Fire Chief Darin Wallentine of the Sarasota County Fire Department said he looks forward to starting regular screenings.
EsoGuard is designed to detect GERD — gastroesophageal reflux disease — which is known to be a risk factor for the development of esophageal cancer. (iStock)
“Any additional cancer screening is a tremendous benefit to the fire service,” he told Fox News Digital. “Catching a pre-cancer or early-stage cancer is an opportunity for a firefighter to maintain their career and … live a long and healthy life following a career of public service.”
He added, “It’s all about catching cancer early and not finding it when it’s too late.”
Simply treating heartburn symptoms won’t help reduce the risk, Aklog noted.
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“We have pretty good medications that treat the symptoms of heartburn — but they don’t treat the mechanical problem of the sloshing of fluid into the lower esophagus, even though the pain is not there.”
“Even if symptoms are well-controlled or even eliminated with these over-the-counter medications, behind the scenes the abnormalities in the esophagus are continuing and can progress to cancer,” he warned.
Cancer of the esophagus — the muscular tube that moves food from the mouth into the stomach — has just a 20% five-year survival rate. (iStock)
Only about 5% of the highest-risk population are currently getting tested, Aklog noted.
“It’s a huge opportunity to have a big impact on cancer deaths.”
How EsoGuard works
The precancerous condition occurs in a small two-inch patch in the lowest part of the esophagus, or the food tube just above the juncture with the stomach, Aklog said.
The goal is to collect cells from that area and then perform molecular diagnostic testing that can identify genetic changes very early.
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“It’s really groundbreaking science that allows scientists to pick up these very subtle changes in the earliest precancerous stage, before the abnormalities and mutations that typically come with cancer,” Aklog said.
The test has an 85% sensitivity and a 99% predictive value, he told Fox News Digital.
Historically, the only way to gather the cells was to do an endoscopy, an invasive test that requires anesthesia and sedation.
A malignant tumor is shown in the human esophagus. Only about 5% of the highest-risk population are currently getting tested for this type of cancer. (iStock)
“With EsoGuard, we can collect these cells in an office setting in less than two minutes, typically without anesthesia or any kind of sedation,” Aklog said.
“You just swallow this little capsule that’s attached to a little, floppy catheter — a balloon-like device — and within two minutes, the cells are collected in a very targeted way.”
“In two weekends, we tested more than 400 firefighters, and we identified precancerous conditions in a number of them.”
The sample is sent to the central laboratory for analysis, after which the patient gets a positive or negative result.
“If it’s negative, they can feel comfortable that they don’t have the precancer, but if the underlying reflux continues, recent data would suggest that they undergo repeat testing every four to five years,” said Aklog.
If it’s a positive result, that means the patient has some degree of a precancerous condition.
Last year, Lucid partnered with the San Antonio Fire Department (not pictured) to screen firefighters, who have a 62% higher risk of developing esophageal cancer. (iStock)
“If it’s early precancer, they must undergo close monitoring with a follow-up endoscopy every three years to pick up the progression to late precancer, which is treated to prevent progression to cancer,” Aklog said.
If it’s a later-stage precancer, the patient would get treatment via endoscopy to eliminate the abnormal cells and prevent them from developing into cancer, he said.
Doctors share insight
Dr. Bruce Greenwald, a leading gastroenterologist at the Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Maryland Medical Center, was not involved in the EsoGuard development but commented on its effectiveness.
“Esoguard detects a precancerous condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which is a known risk factor for esophageal cancer,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“If Barrett’s esophagus is found, then that individual can be followed with endoscopy, and interventions can be taken before Barrett’s esophagus becomes cancerous.”
Greenwald noted that while many people have GERD, esophageal cancer is relatively uncommon.
“Currently, those with GERD and the highest risk of esophageal cancer are White obese men,” he said. “Other groups also carry risk, but to a lesser degree.”
“A minimally invasive test like Esoguard could identify those at risk for esophageal cancer before it appears.”
“Currently, those with GERD and the highest risk of esophageal cancer are White obese men,” according to a gastroenterologist. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was not involved in Lucid’s test development but commented on its potential.
“It is an office procedure that takes five minutes and has over 90% accuracy,” he told Fox News Digital.
“You simply lower a pill into the stomach and pull it back out.”
“It is very useful as an intermediate step for those with chronic reflux, who could have a change in the esophagus that is a precursor of esophageal cancer,” he went on.
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was not involved in Lucid’s test development but commented on its potential. (Fox News)
“This is especially important as we get older and the risks increase.”
Siegel noted that some people are afraid of getting an “invasive” endoscopy.
“This test is an intermediate, highly accurate step to help in assessing the risk and deciding whether you need an endoscopy or not,” the doctor said.
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EsoGuard is now available in many major states, Aklog said.
“We’ve already done tens of thousands of tests, and physicians are embracing and adopting it for their patients,” he noted. “We have numerous examples of patients in whom we’ve picked up the latest stage of precancer, so we’re making an impact.”
The final steps in the process will involve getting insurance coverage, which is currently in the works.
Historically, the only way to gather cells for testing was to do an endoscopy, an invasive test that requires anesthesia and sedation. (iStock)
The EsoGuard has proven to be a “safe and simple” test, Aklog said.
“There have been tens of thousands of tests performed with no complications,” he said. “It’s just basically a swab of the lower part of the food tube.”
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The only caveat is that there have been a small number of false negatives and false positives, he pointed out.
Greenwald agreed that the risk of a complication from EsoGuard seems to be low.
“The test does require swallowing a catheter, which can be uncomfortable,” he said.
“Identifying Barrett’s esophagus could cause anxiety about getting cancer, but most people with the condition never develop cancer,” he said.
While there have been some previous efforts to develop esophageal cancer screening methods, Aklog said they have not been as “gentle” or accurate as EsoGuard.
“This is the first one that’s been successful and accurate enough to play a role in a widespread early detection program.”
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A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
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Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
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“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
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Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
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Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
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A drug that has long been used to treat seizures has shown promise as a potential means of Alzheimer’s prevention, a new study suggests.
The anti-seizure medication, levetiracetam, was first approved by the FDA in November 1999 under the brand name Keppra as a therapy for partial-onset seizures in adults. The approval has since expanded to include children and other types of seizures.
Northwestern University researchers recently found that levetiracetam prevented the formation of toxic amyloid beta peptides, which are small protein fragments in the brain that are commonly seen in Alzheimer’s patients.
The medication was found to prevent the formation of amyloid-beta 42 in both animal models and cultured human neurons, according to the study findings, which were published in Science Translational Medicine.
The effect was also seen in post-mortem human brain tissue obtained from individuals with Down syndrome, who are at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
The medication was found to prevent the formation of amyloid-beta 42 in both animal models and cultured human neurons. (iStock)
“While many of the Alzheimer’s drugs currently on the market, such as lecanemab and donanemab, are approved to clear existing amyloid plaques, we’ve identified this mechanism that prevents the production of the amyloid‑beta 42 peptides and amyloid plaques,” said corresponding author Jeffrey Savas, associate professor of behavioral neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in a press release.
“Our new results uncovered new biology while also opening doors for new drug targets.”
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The brain is better able to avoid the pathway that produces toxic amyloid‑beta 42 proteins in younger years, but the aging process gradually weakens that ability, Savas noted.
“This is not a statement of disease; this is just a part of aging. But in brains developing Alzheimer’s, too many neurons go astray, and that’s when you get amyloid-beta 42 production,” he said.
The effect was also seen in post-mortem human brain tissue obtained from individuals with Down syndrome, who are at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease. (iStock)
That then leads to tau (“tangles”) — abnormal clumps of protein inside brain neurons — which can kill brain cells, trigger neuroinflammation and lead to dementia.
In order for levetiracetam to function as an Alzheimer’s blocker, high-risk patients would have to start taking it “very, very early,” Savas said — up to 20 years before elevated amyloid-beta 42 levels would be detected.
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“You couldn’t take this when you already have dementia, because the brain has already undergone a number of irreversible changes and a lot of cell death,” the researcher noted.
The researchers also did a deep dive into previous human clinical data to determine whether Alzheimer’s patients who were taking the anti-seizure drug had slower cognitive decline. They reported that the patients in that category had a “significant delay” in the span from cognitive decline to death compared to those not taking the drug.
“This analysis supports the positive effect of levetiracetam to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s pathology,” the researcher said. (iStock)
“Although the magnitude of change was small (on the scale of a few years), this analysis supports the positive effect of levetiracetam to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s pathology,” Savas said.
Looking ahead, the research team aims to find people who have genetic forms of Alzheimer’s to participate in testing, Savas said.
Limitations and caveats
The study had several limitations, including that it relied on animal models and cultured cells, with no human trials conducted.
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Because the study was observational in nature, it can’t prove that the medication caused the prevention of the toxic brain proteins, the researchers acknowledged.
Savas noted that levetiracetam “is not perfect,” cautioning that it breaks down in the body very quickly.
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The team is currently working to create a “better version” that would last longer in the body and “better target the mechanism that prevents the production of the plaques.”
“You couldn’t take this when you already have dementia, because the brain has already undergone a number of irreversible changes and a lot of cell death.”
The medication’s common documented side effects include drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, irritability, headache, loss of appetite and nasal congestion.
It has also been linked to potential mood and behavior changes, including anxiety, depression, agitation and aggression, according to the prescribing information. In rare cases, it could lead to severe allergic reactions, skin reactions, blood disorders and suicidal ideation.
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Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health and the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.
Fox News Digital reached out to the drug manufacturer and the researchers for comment.
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